Another piece of the Iowa blue pine

[Doug Herzberg]

This one had some checking after it was roughed. I tried to stop it with ca and was rewarded with the yellow stains on the bottom. It's pretty wood, so I thought I'd share, despite its problems.

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Approximately 8" x 10-1/2", just BLO so far. C&C appreciated.

[wes murphy]

that's just beautiful wood and a great shape. unless you pointed out the ca stains, i could not find it. great work doug.

[Jim Burr]

That is a great form to show off the wood Doug! Looks like you maintained the sweep of the curve all the way to the rim...hard to do on a tall piece like that. Size is cool too! Next time I'm in Iowa...;)

[Eric Gourieux]

Doug, that's a really nice piece. The wood is beautiful and, like Jim said, the form is great. Well done! At least in the photo, the stains are not readily apparent.

[charlie knighton]

very nice form Doug, like your wood, how is it to turn?????? i assume it is dry? i admit to trying to turn some green va pine once upon a time, never finished it, it did not look anything like yours.

[Curt Fuller]

I love these blue pine pieces you've been turning Doug. This one is one of my favorites. Have you ever given any thought to why the blue fungus staining in the wood doesn't follow the grain lines. I think that really adds to the interest of the wood to see the different lines intersecting. Very pretty piece!

[Brian Kent]

I love the interplay of the grain, the spalting, and the shape. Wow.

[Steve Doerr]

Doug, I have some yellow pine with the same blue/black stain. It has a LOT of pitch in it and leaves the shop with a definite turpentine smell. I've just completed a turning from this wood, turned it thin and soaked it in oil. Has a nice translucent appearance to it (similar to NIP). I will post a picture after I finish buffing it. My question has to do with the stain. At first I thought it was from pine bark beetles, based on an internet search. Then I thought maybe spalt, but it doesn't have the punky wood that usually accompanies spalt. Not sure which it is. What are your thoughts?
Steve

PS Forgot to tell you I really like the shape.and the way it turned out.

[Tim Leiter]

Really nice piece of wood and I really like the shape of your turning. Well done!...............Tim.

[Roger Chandler]

NICE work Doug! You have a nice form and a real looker there!

[Benjamin Dahl]

Doug, that's great. as has been said before, I would not have known about the CA stains had you not mentioned it.
Excellent form.
Ben

[jwjerry w kowalski]

Doug, that's some really outstanding looking wood, what an interesting pattern of colors, and your form is spot on too. This would definitely be a piece I would never let go of.

[Doug Herzberg]

Looks like you maintained the sweep of the curve all the way to the rim...hard to do on a tall piece like that. .;)

Thanks, Jim. I was trying to get that right. I wasted a lot of diameter getting the "waist" up. It was at the bottom of the blank and didn't look right. I think maybe I should have raised it a little more.

[Doug Herzberg]

how is it to turn?????? i assume it is dry?

Charlie, it's really soft and tearout can be a problem. You can almost shape it with sandpaper. Also, the finished product is susceptible to damage from dents. It was green at Christmas and I roughed it right away. Hollowing, the wood was still pretty damp, but not wet.

[Doug Herzberg]

Have you ever given any thought to why the blue fungus staining in the wood doesn't follow the grain lines.

I have noticed different patterns, Curt. This tree had some sections where the stain radiated out from the center all the way around. Others were only 270 degrees, or just one side mostly, like this one. I don't know much, but aren't there rays in the wood like what shows up in quarter sawn oak? Maybe that's how the stain travels.

[Doug Herzberg]

Doug, I have some yellow pine with the same blue/black stain. It has a LOT of pitch in it and leaves the shop with a definite turpentine smell. I've just completed a turning from this wood, turned it thin and soaked it in oil. Has a nice translucent appearance to it (similar to NIP). I will post a picture after I finish buffing it. My question has to do with the stain. At first I thought it was from pine bark beetles, based on an internet search. Then I thought maybe spalt, but it doesn't have the punky wood that usually accompanies spalt. Not sure which it is. What are your thoughts?


Steve, I looked at your post and I don't know the answer. The stain is really blue when the tree is first cut. The black comes with the finish, and with age. I have gotten a black mildew from keeping pine too wet. The only SYP I see labeled as such is the pressure treated lumber at the big box stores. This pine only has pitch where the branches are. From what part of Missouri did your wood come? Mine was from southwest Iowa, about fifteen miles from the state line, so the beetles may have migrated south.